Clip-type shield



Oct. 10,1967 R. L. EVANS 3,345,779

CLIP-TYPE SHIELD Filed A ril 27, 1965 I N VEN TOR. RUPERT L. EVANSATI'ORNEY.

United States Patent 3,345,779 CLIP-TYPE SHIELD Rupert L. Evans,Hollywood, Fla., assignor to Crossly Window Corp., Dade, Fla. Filed Apr.27, 1965, Ser. No. 451,156 6 Claims. (Cl. 49-501) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An integral, clip-type shield for use over the end of a stilewhich has a U-shaped slot for reciprooably receiving a monorail of aheader, in which the shield includes a plate-like body havingtine-carrying, displaceable tabs for grippingly engaging the stile onopposite sides of the U-sh-aped slot thereof and enclosing said slot forcushioning the monorail during relative movement between the stile andheader.

This invention relates to a clip-type shield, and, more particularly, toa clip-type shield receivable as a liner for a U-shaped slot in the endof a sliding panel stile to guide the panel for sliding movementrelative to a track depending from a header.

As is perhaps well known, sliding panels are quite often provided with aU-shaped slot in the ends of the stiles of the panel to receive a guidetrack of a header which moves relative to the slot walls on slidingmovement of the panel. In the past, it has been found desirable toprovide a nylon liner for the slot which is secured to the stile bymeans of screws passed thorugh flanges on either side of the liner. Thisinvention provides a clip-type guide shield for the end slots of suchstiles which includes integral fastening means whereby auxiliaryfasteners are not required to secure it to the stile.

It is, therefore, an object of this invention to provide a clip-typeshield or guide of tough, resilient, synthetic elastic material to linethe U-shaped slot of the stile of a panel to receive a guide trackor'rnonorail therein and for sliding movement relative thereto, saidshield including integral gripping means to secure it in position.

Itis another object of this invention to provide a shield of the typedescribed hereinafter which is relatively simple in construction, isinexpensive to manufacture, and is otherwise well adapted for thepurposes for which it is intended.

In accordance with these and other objects which will become apparenthereinafter, the instant invention will now be described with referenceto the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is an exploded partial perspective view of the header of a frameand the stile of a sliding panel and illustrating the instant shield inperspective relation to the header andstile;

FIG. 2 is a second perspective view of the guide; and

FIG. 3 is a side elevation view of the shield installed on the stile inFIG. 1.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, wherein like referencecharacters designate like or corresponding parts throughout thedifferent views, and referring particularly to FIG. 1, the numeral 11generally designates the clip-type shield which is tough, durable,elastic, synthetic material, such as nylon, which, by reason of itsstructure, as is set forth more fully hereinafter, is resilient andadapted to cling in place on a sliding panel in the position shown inFIG. 3.

Referring to FIG. 1, the numeral 12 generally designates a channel-formheader of a closed frame, such as that commonly installed in buildingopenings, to accommodate sliding movement of a panel protectivelynestled between the flanges 18 and 20 and guided in sliding movement bya monorail 22 depending from the web 16. The numeral 14 generallydesignates the stile of the panel which is ordinarily of an extrudedlength of metallic material having a stile side 25 with a U-shaped slot24, having a floor 26 and vertical side walls 28 and 30, to receive themonorail or guide track 22 therein. On either side of the floor of theslot screw holes 32 and 34 are provided to accommodate passage of headedscrews for engagement with elements carried in the panel but which formno part of the instant invention and are, therefore, not shown. Abovethe holes two recesses 36 and 38 are ordinarily provided to receivescrews to hold a shield in place, and the edges of which recesses, itwill be seen, are utilized to co-operate with tines 70 and 72 of theinstant clip-type shield 11 to securely connect it in the slot 24 of thestile.

Referring in detail to the clip-type shield 11, seen in FIGS. 1 and 2 inperspective, it comprises a relatively thin plate body 40 or flange tooverlay the interior surface of the stile side 25 and a first and asecond tinecarrying tab 50 and 52 held in spaced apart and confrontingrelation with respect to the plate as flanges of the U-shaped slotliner. The side walls of the liner 54 and 56 are sutficiently thick tocushion the stile relative to the web 22 and are sized so as tocompletely and snugly overlay the floor and side walls of the slot 24.The upper surface of the shield is flat to ride smoothly under a headerweb when installed and the walls of the mouth of the slot are thickenedto normally constrict the mouth to define wiper edges 58 and 60 ofweb-gripping cushion surfaces 66 and 68. The lips of the mouth 62 and 64are beveled inwardly to the cushion surfaces of maximum constriction 66and 68; it is noted that the said confronting cushion surfaces of theconstricted month are generally vertical between the lips and at theentrance to the main width of the slot. As can be seen in FIG. 2, thetines 70 and 72 respectively confront recesses 46 and 48 in the plateportion of the body, the said tabs being congruent with respect to therecesses but with the tines opposing a portion only of the recesseswhich is outwardly of the slot walls. As can be seen in FIGS. 1 and 2,each of the tines is arrow-shaped to define a barb edge for a purposewhich will become apparent in the next paragraph.

In assembly, the guide shield is positioned in the symmetrical relationshown in FIG. 1 above the stile slot 24 with the U-shaped liner of theshield being pressed depthwise into the slot with the plate overridingthe inner stile surface until the arrowed edges or slanted surfaces ofthe tines ride onto the outer surface of the stile side.

Continued downward pressure on the shield expands the distal edges ofthe tabs away from the plate body a slight distance about the hingelines, i.e., the lines of connection with the U-shaped liner, which alsodraws the mouth to a slightly constricted portion, by reason of the factthat the distance between the opposing faces of the tabs and the plateis the same as that of the thickness of the stile and the constrictionof the mouth takes advantage of the increase of the distance between thetabs and the plate resulting from the movement of the distal edge of thetabs with respect to the aforesaid hinge lines. As continued pressure isapplied to press the shield downwardly into the slot, the tines snapinto the recesses 36 and 38 of the stile as the barb edges clear torelax the tabs with respect to the hinge line, and, substantiallysimultaneously, the mouth relaxes to the open position as the pressurecausing the outer edges of the tabs to expand and the edges of the tinesis relieved and, therefore, the tine edges move into tight abuttingengagement with the side walls of the recesses of the stile. Thus, theshield is securely fastened in the stile without requiring additionalfastening means with the liner or spacer portions protectively liningthe slot and the cushion surfaces being adapted to snugly wipe and gripthe web when the panel is assembled thereto, the said beveled edgesguiding the distal end of the mono-rail into the slot 49. Further, byreason of the fact that in the preferred construction the tabs as seenin elevation are at least congruent to the recesses 46 and 48 of theplate portion of the body and the tines are in abutting engagement withthe outer edge of the stile recesses, the tabs protectively overlay therecesses of the stile face to protect it from the elements. In thepreferred embodiment, the inherent resiliency of the plastic material,which is prefera'bly nylon, and which holds the tines into tightengagement in the stile recesses and, also, the Ushaped liner inexpanded relation into abutting engagement with the sides of the slot,may be supplemented by slightly bending the distal edges of the tabstoward the plate body and by forming the liner walls with an angle ofdivergence slightly larger than the included angle of the slot, when theshield is molded. Further, the apron or skirt of the plate in which theholes 42 and 44 are provided is of such a length that the screw holes 32and 34 of the stile are in alignment when the clip-type shield is inplace. Thus, it is seen that by reason of the structure aforesaid, theshield is adapted to be quickly and securely snapped in position on astile and without the use of tools whereby it can then be moved as aunit to a site for panel assembly without the requirement of additionalfastening means to accompany the stile and shield.

While the instant invention has been shown and described herein in whatis conceived to be the most practical and preferred embodiment, it isrecognized that departures may be made therefrom within the scope of theinvention, which is therefore not to be limited to the details disclosedherein, but is to be accorded the full scope of the claims so as toembrace any and all equivalent apparatus and articles.

What is claimed is:

1. A clip-type shield comprising, a plate-type body having a slotcentrally of one edge extending into the body, a first and second cliptab, one of said tabs on each side of the slot and in spaced-apartrelation in a plane parallel to the main plane of the body, spacerportions connecting the tabs and the body and defining slot walls,extending between the planes of the confronting surfaces of the plateand tabs, and each of said tabs having a tine on the surface confrontingthe plate for grippingly engaging therebetween the edges of a recess ina slotted stile when the clip-type shield is positioned in the slot ofthe stile with the spacer lining the slot of the stile.

2. An integral, clip-type guide shield of tough, resilient, synthetic,plastic material for snug seating in a U- shaped slot at the end of astile to receive a guide rail therein depending from the web of a headercomprising; a congruent liner sized for insertion in overlaying relationto the walls of the U-shaped slot, and resilient holding means tomaintain the shield liner in the slot, said holding means comprising aflanged lip of plate form on one side of the liner to overlay a portionof one surface of the stile around the liner and a first and a secondcoplanar flanged tab on the other side of the liner,

each tab to overlay a portion of the stile in diametrical opposition ofthe center line of the opening of the liner, a tine on each tabconfronting the lip, the distance between the confronting surfaces ofthe tabs and the lip being substantially equal to the thickness of thestile and the line of connection between the tabs and the liner beingflexible so that the distal end of the tabs are adapted to beresiliently expanded to normally contract and trap the tines in recessesin the stile.

3. In combination, a stile having a U-shaped slot at one end and arecess on each side of the slot and an integral, clip-type guide shieldof tough, resilient, synthetic, plastic material for snug seating in theU-shaped slot to receive a guide rail therein depending from the web ofa header, said shield comprising a liner sized to overlay the walls ofthe U-shaped slot and resilient holding means to maintain the shieldliner in the slot, said holding means comprising a flanged lip of plateform on one side of the liner to overlay a portion of one surface of thestile around the liner and a first and a second coplaner flanged tab onthe other side of the liner, each tab to overlay a portion of the stilein diametrical opposition of the center line of the opening of theliner, a tine on each tab confronting the lip, the distance between theconfronting surfaces of the tabs and the lip being substantially equalto the thickness of the stile and the line of connection between thetabs and the liner being flexible so that the distal end of the tabs areadapted to be resiliently expanded to normally contract and trap thetines in recesses in the stile.

4. An integral, clip-type guide shield of tough, resilient, synthetic,plastic material for snug seating in a U- shaped slot at the end of astile to receive a header therein depending from the web of a flangecomprising, a congruent liner sized for insertion in overlying relationto the walls of the U-shaped slot, said shield comprising:

a plate-like body member having a slot opening into one side thereof,side walls flanking said last-mentioned slot and extending away from oneside of said plate-like body member, displaceable tabs extendinglaterally from said side walls away from said lastmentioned slot and inspaced relation from said one side of said plate-like body member andconfronting the same, said tabs including tines extending toward saidone side of said plate-like body member whereby the stile is grippinglyengaged thereby.

5. The structure as claimed in claim 4 in which said plate-like bodymember includes recesses therein in opposed relation to terminal endportions of said tines.

6. The structure as claimed in claim 4 in which said side walls includeintegral, web-gripping cushions extending into said last-mentioned slotand in confronting, spaced relation.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1959 Romanaski 49438 9/1965Buck 49425

2. AN INTEGRAL, CLIP-TYPE GUIDE SHIELD OF TOUGH, RESILIENT, SYNTHETIC,PLASTIC MATERIAL FOR SNUG SEATING IN A USHAPED SLOT AT THE END OF ASTILE TO RECEIVE A GUIDE RAIL THEREIN DEPENDING FROM THE WEB OF A HEADERCOMPRISING; A CONGRUENT LINER SIZED INSERTION IN OVERLAYING RELATION TOTHE WALLS OF THE U-SHAPED SLOT, AND RESILIENT HOLDING MEANS TO MAINTAINTHE SHIELD LINER IN THE SLOT, SAID HOLDING MEANS COMPRISING A FLANGEDLIP OF PLATE FORM ON ONE SIDE OF THE LINER TO OVERLAY A PORTION OF ONESURFACE OF THE STILE AROUND THE LINER AND A FIRST AND SECOND COPLANARFLANGED TAB ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE LINER,